


Schoolwork

by Spacey Whales (Hetty_Mouse)



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: (And this is where she developed it RIP in peace Peko 2k16), (But I totally wrote it with my headcanon Peko has a massive crush on Nagito), Also because it's dangan ronpa and holy shit kids should not watch those animes/play those games, F/M, Hope's Peak, I can't title my fics for shit, I may have gotten my honorifics horribly wrong but I'm pretty sure san is most appropriate, I mean it's not specifically romantic, I want them to help each other, Peko and Nagito deserve to bond, They both have a 'I'm worthless" concept, before everything goes to shit, everything is so depressing I swear just let them be happy, teen for swearing, this is probably set somewhere early in despair arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-23 09:57:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8323486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hetty_Mouse/pseuds/Spacey%20Whales
Summary: Peko's had three hours sleep, and her essay is poorly written and only half finished. Nagito offers help.





	

**Author's Note:**

> tfw this is the rare-est pair to ever be a fukin rarepair

Peko’s eyes snapped open. She quickly analysed her situation, in the lounge, on the sofa, lying on her back, head tipped to one side - her neck hurt - glasses in her hand - just, they were barely clinging to her fingertips - laptop on her legs, Komaeda Nagito standing in the doorway. The opening of the door must have been what woke her.

“Pekoyama-san?” he said. His voice was questioning, but it wasn’t a question of her identity, he knew who she was, it was closer to ‘Why are you here?’

“Mm.” She pushed her glasses onto her face and sat up, swinging her legs off the sofa, holding onto her laptop so it wouldn’t fall. As she straightened her neck, it clicked unpleasantly and she felt a sharp stab of pain. She was careful not to allow her face to show this, she could attend to it later, in private.

“Why…” He trailed off, but Peko assumed he was asking why she was asleep here and not her room.

“I was writing an essay. I suppose I fell asleep.” Peko tapped the spacebar, the bright glow of the screen a harsh change from the dim room. The clock in the corner read 4:56AM, when she’d checked the clock last, before she fell asleep it had been 1:02AM. Three hours sleep, give or take. Not ideal, but she could function on that.

Drawing her eyes to last night’s essay, she almost winced. _Almost._ It was poorly written, only half finished. That was due today, she had… _‘Class starts at 8AM, it’s almost 5 now, I normally require ten minutes to get ready, cut that time in half because I am still dressed and will only have to wash my face and fix my hair, I can bathe properly later. Five minutes to get to class from here, add two minutes in case of delays. Ow! Five more to account for the back pain. 10 minutes to pick up breakfast, I can eat as I walk. Anything else? No, that’s everything.’_

It took Peko far longer than she’d like to put these numbers together. She had two and a half hours. She could do that. Probably...

“Are you okay?” Komaeda’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

_‘No.’_

“Yes.”

“You- Ahaha, it’s probably out of line for trash like me to say this, but you don’t look okay.”

“You are not trash.” Shock flickered across Komaeda's face, he quickly covered it with a smile - that constant smile that looked ever so practiced, but ever so fake - however, she had already seen. He opened his mouth to speak, presumably to argue, but Peko cut him off. “I am fine, though I appreciate your concern.

Komaeda crossed the room and sat next to her. “How’s your essay, it’s due today, right?”

“Yes.” Peko paused, beginning to chew her lip before quickly stopping herself, it was a bad habit. “It’s awful. Only half finished, too… I should have done this days ago.” She looked down. “I have two and a half hours, I can fix it.”

“Could I be of any help? I finished mine, though, of course, someone as worthless as me wouldn’t be much help to someone like you-”

He did this often, long, self deprecating rants, spattered with talk of hope she didn’t quite understand, usually ending in disturbing laughter before he recovered himself and started smiling again. Peko wondered what had made him hate himself this much.

“-Someone so talented, full of hope! P- Perhaps I could help bring out the hope in you, though I’m sure it’s presumptuous of me to offer. I’m rambling, I’m sorry.” There was the disturbing laughter. “I shouldn’t burden you with having to hear my disgusting voice! I-”

“I would like that, Komaeda-san.”

He stopped, looking across at her, his surprise evident and unhidden this time. “You would allow trash like me to be in your presence- To help you with your schoolwork?”

“You are not trash, and from the little I have seen, your writing is rather impressive.”

“Merely my luck showing little things that might make you think my work could be okay…” he mumbled, looking down at his knees.

“I am a swordswoman, not a writer, and I have only two and a half hours. I will fail without your assistance. Please, your help is greatly appreciated.” She was not a person, and yet Komaeda treated her like one. He didn’t know the truth- _‘Of course he doesn’t, and he cannot.’_ -But for now, it was… Nice, to enjoy the company of someone who didn’t see her as lesser. Of course… The young master kept telling her she was equal, and she didn’t believe he was lying, but… He was wrong.

Peko realised she was staring blankly at her keyboard, eyes unfocused and looked back up at Komaeda, pushing her laptop across onto his legs. “You will lie to me and tell me this is okay. It is not, but you can help me fix it.”

Komaeda’s eyes jumped back and forth across the screen as he read, his hair almost concealing them. When he finished, he looked back at her. “But it is good, Pekoyama-san! T- There are perhaps… A- A few things I would reword, not that the opinion of worthless trash like me matters-”

“It matters to me, and I am asking for your opinion.” He clearly wasn’t lying when he said he believed her writing was good, but his judgement was clouded by the obvious reverence he gave to his classmates. He saw himself as lesser. Once again, Peko found herself wondering why.

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. “I… O- Okay. I- I of course would not presume my advice should be taken, but I can offer it! Even if my opinion doesn’t matter! If that is what you want…”

“Yes. It is.” Peko sighed. “Your opinion matters, and I _will_ fail without it.”

Komaeda’s face split with a smile that could have been from happiness at what was probably the closest thing to a compliment he’d had in however long, or could have been from the idea of helping her hope shine, or whatever it was he had decided he was doing here. Perhaps both. She made a mental note to give him a real compliment later.

 

* * *

 

 

Komaeda was better at this than he would have her believe, helping her fix what she had already written first, then correcting her as she typed, though not without commenting that he was worthless and she shouldn’t take his advice every time. She took his advice when he offered it anyway.

“Thank you, Komaeda-san.”

He looked up from the now finished essay, smiling. “But that was you, Pekoyama-san! You wrote!”

“And you prevented it from being… Complete bullshit.” A small smile appeared on Peko’s lips and she laughed, letting her head fall forward. When she tilted her head to look at Komaeda, she saw he looked surprised, presumably at the swearing and her smile. “I am capable of smiling, I just do not feel the need to fake it. Smiling comes naturally when the heart grows warm.”

“I… Your heart is warm? In the presence of someone as disgusting as me?”

“Because I am in your presence, not despite. Your company is very enjoyable.”

Komaeda smiled - _‘That looks genuine’ -_ and quickly looked away, though she could swear she’d seen a pink flush on his cheeks before he did.

Peko pressed the print button and stood, unable to contain a gasp of pain at the sharp pain in her legs and back. Dammit, she was supposed to be able to hide this.

“Are you okay?” came Komaeda’s concerned voice from behind her.

Peko looked back at him and nodded. “I’m fine.” Looking for something to change the subject to, Peko said “What were you doing up so early?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“You’ve been up all night?”

“It’s okay, I’m used to it!” Komaeda smiled, back to the fake one.

“Why couldn’t you sleep?”

“Wait, Pekoyama-san! You’re changing the subject! You’re in pain!”

Mm… He wouldn’t move on that easily. “Yes. It is okay, I am used to it.”

“You get breakfast, I’ll catch up to you!” Seeing the look in his eyes, Peko couldn’t bring herself to say no.

“Okay.”

Just before turning into the cafeteria, Peko heard the sound of running behind her as an out of breath Komaeda caught up to her, as promised. He passed her a bottle. “Take this!”

Looking down at the bottle in her hand, she saw it was a painkiller, a strong and definitely prescription one at that.

“Komaeda-san… Where did you…” she trailed off, looking into his grey eyes. They didn’t give anything away.

“I acquire things, it’s my luck.” Probably not legal, then, not that this bothered her. “Take it for now!”

Peko hurriedly shoved it into her pocket before anyone could see what she was holding, as it would probably get them both in trouble. “Thank you.” Peko usually didn't bother with painkillers, and being offered them was extremely unfamiliar. She wasn't going to turn them down. Komaeda was being so nice to her… He could perhaps be odd sometimes, but it wasn't his fault, and he obviously deeply cared for his classmates.

“We have class soon, would you like to walk with me?” Peko asked.

“What I want doesn't matter! Is that what you want, Pekoyama-san?”

“I want to know what you want. Tell me, do you _want_ to walk to class with me?”

Komaeda paused. “Yes, I'd like that. I- I- Thank you…”

“We should eat first, but we’ll have to eat as we walk. Or… Perhaps run, at this time. Perhaps you can tell me why you didn’t sleep.”

“Y- Yes! ” Komaeda’s smile looked more genuine now. Peko couldn’t help but return it.

“We’re going to be late,” she commented.

“No! We can make it!” said Komaeda, with that same determination in his eyes. Peko believed him, he was so confident they would, it was difficult not to.


End file.
